Knitting-machine



3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

J. MERROW.

KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 291,377. Patent ed Jan. 1,-1884.

I: I F; a;

INVEN'IOR BY Jul/1W wmmssns:

ATTOENBYS.

u. PETERS. Phaluiimugnulmr. Wmhmgton. 0.0.

amt STATE-S PATENT tries.

JosEPH M. Mann-ow, OFMERROW, CONNECTICUT.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

SPECiIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,377, dated January1, 1884:;

Application filed March 5, 1883.

i To (LZZ 1071 0727, it 171.14g concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrrr M. Mnnnow,

ofMerrow, in the county of Tolland and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and use -fu1 Improvement in KnittingMachines, of

which the following is a full, clear,- and exact 7 description.

The object of my invention is to provide certain new and usefulimprovements whereby the fabric will be kept from being carried by theneedles in the direct-ion of the reciprocations of said needles.

inder being stationary and the cam-cylinder "rotating. 'of a part of themachine, showinga needle Fig. 2 is a like sectional elevation raisedabove its operating-cams and out of use.

.-for operating the needles and blanks.

"Fig.3 is a like sectional elevation, showing a needle slightly raisedfromits lowest position. Fig. 4 is an inside view of a portion of thecamcylinder, showingthe arrangement of the cams Fig. 5 is across-sectional elevation of aknittingmachime, in which theneedlesupport is revolved by the gear-wheel andthc cam-cylinder is heldstationary. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional elevation of a portion of astraight machine having my improvementsapplied thereto. Fig. 7 is aviewshowing thecounection of the pressing cam to the bar, which causes theformer to reciprocate with the latter on straight machines. Fig. 8 is aface view of the pressingcain of a straight machine, the pin whichdrives said pressing-cam,and the web-holders. Fig. 9 isa cross-sectionalelevation of one side of a circular machine, in which cams are used onthe inside and the outside for pressing the needles laterally. Fig. 10is a like sectional view, in which cams are used .on the inside andblanks on the outside for pressing the needles laterally. Fig. 11 isalike view, showing blanks as used on both sides of the needles forpressing them laterally.

11 latch-needles Aywhich are of the usual con= In the machine shown inFigs. 1, 9, 10, and

(No model.)

struction, are held in grooves a, in the outer Y surface of the needlecylinder or support 13,

which is to remain stationary, and is surrounded by revolvingcam-cylinders O, prov1ded ,5 with a beveled-cog wheel, 0, engag ng withthe beveled-cog wheel 0 mounted on a shaft,

D, provided with a suitable handle forturning it, or with pulleys, orwith other suitable known devices for applying power. The nee- 6o dlecylinder or support B contains a cylinder, D, to the upper or knittingedge of which a series of hooks or web-holders, E, are attached, whichproject between the needles and outwardly over the upper or knittingedge of the needle cylinder or support B, the prongs f of the said hooksforming recesses f, and projecting toward the center of the needlecylinder or support B, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, V and 5. There is tobe one web-holder or jack E in each space between two needles. The hooksor web-holders E can be attached to the cylinder D, or they can be madeintegral with the same, or they may be attached to or integral with theneedle-support or cylinder. The needle-holding groovesa. of the needlecylinder or support B are each provided with a depression, recess, orcavity 1), the ends of which recesses or cavities are beveled, as shownat b b. The needles A are reciprocated in the grooves a by means ofneedle-operating cams I J and of cams constructed of the plate F and thetumbler F, coming in contact with the bent ends or butts of saidneedles. In each groove a, as shown in Figs.

1, 2, and 3, a blank, G, is placed, which has one end, 9, bent to form abutt in the same manner as the needles, and has a head, g, formed at itsother extremity, the end of which head orally at the proper times, forthe purpose of carrying the yarn or thread connecting the loops orstitches which are upon said needles into the recesses f, formed by theprojections f. The blanks G are caused to perform their 100.

before-mentioned functionby means of the irregular'groove H acting uponthe butts'of I 40 loops or stitches.

said blanks. The butts g of the blanks G extend into the groove H, whichgroove runs "around'theinside of the cam-cylinder on a continuoushorizontal line, if, except below 5 the needle-cams I J, at points 71?,where it is slightly lowered to the plane of h, and forms inclinedportions h which inclined portions h are located below the point atwhich the needles begin to rise after having been drawn down through theold loop to its lowest limit. When the cam-cylinder is rotated in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 4, the butts g of the blanks G in thepart h of the groove H, at the left side of said figure, will pass downthe incline h to the portion h of the groove H at the same time that theneedles rise to receive the yarn, and as the rotation of the cylindercontinues the butts of the blanks will slide alongthe part h? of the/5316. groove H, and up the incline 715* at the right in Fig. 4. Thislast-mentioned movement of the butts of the blanks up the incline h to.the portion h of the groove H, as before mentioned, occurs just afterthe needles have 2 5- been: drawn down to. their lowest positions tovcomplete their stitches. iVhen the blanks are thus raised, their heads9, sliding upon the upper inclined surfaces, 1), force the needleslaterally outward. Vhcn the blanks were lowered in the manner previouslydescribed,

the needles were left free to be pressed inwardly. This lateral movementinward of the needles is accomplished by cams L, which are shown at theright side of Fig. 1, which cams come into contact with the needles im-.mediately after the blanks are drawn down, and cease to act upon thesaid needles just as thesaid blanks begin to rise and the needles 'begintheir ascent through the newly-formed The cam or presser L, as shown inFig. 1, is by preference adjustably connected to the cam-cylinder. Aplate, F, extends entirely around the interior of the cam-cylinder, andis secured to the same near the lower part thereof. The upper edge ofthis, plate below the needle-operating cams I J .co-operate with saidcams to cause the reciprooat-ions of the needles in the usual wellknownmanner. At other points than below the-cams I J the upper edge of theplate F forms a shoulder or ledge for the butts of the needles to restor slide upon when in what may be termed their normal position. Thelower edge of the said plate forms the upper 5 5 surface of theirregular groove H, into which the butts of the blanks G extend. Thelower surface of said groove H is formed by the upper edge .of a I ringsecured to the inner lower edge of the cam-cylinder.

Fig. 4: shows the position that the needleoperating cams will assumewhen the cam-cylinder is moving in the direction of the arrow. .Theirregular dotted line indicates the path or .the different positions ofthe butts of thence- 6'5 .dleswhen they perform the operation ofknitting. NVhen the cam-cylinder is rotated in the direction of thearrow, the butts of the nee- .dles pass from the upper edge of the plateF 'over the tumbler or piv'otedbridge Fflup along the inclined top ofone cam, I, and over the t p thereof, by which the needles are raised toreceive the yarn or thread from the threadguide. Thebutts of the needlesencountering the switch-cam J, of common construction, pass down alongthe lower edge of said cam, and of the other cam, I, to the point I ofthe cam l, by which the stitches in the hooks of the needles are drawnthrough the old loops to the butts of the needles are permitted to slideupon. the upper horizontal edge of the plate F, they slide upon and overthe tumbler F. This last-mentioned movement of the needles is sufficientto carry the latches of the needles through the newly-formed stitches orloops.

The width of the plate F maybe varied, and ifit is made wider inproportion to the other parts there will be less pressure upon thetumblersF by the butts of theneedles, and if the plate F is madenarrower the cams I might then be extended or made wider, so as to causethe needles to advance earlier in relation to the action of the blanks Gwhile the web is yet held by the web-holders.

In place of making the groove H lower under the cams'I I J, the saidgroove H may be made higher under the said cams than at other parts ofthe said groove H, in which case the blanks will move in directionsopposite to the ones described, and the head g of said blanks will slideupon the lower part of the recess b, forcing the needles laterally, andit is obvions that the result will be the same in either case.

The proportions of the cams and the plate F, as shown and described, areconvenient in practice, and I consider preferable. hen the butts of theneedles are upon the plate F at a point away from the cams and tumblers,the needles and blanks will be in the approximate position shown at theleft side of Fig. 1. If from such a position after, the latches havepassed through the stitches the needles are pressed inward and advancedfarther, the web may be carried along somewhat by the longitudinalmotion of the needles; but such action would not interfere with theoperation of knitting.

WVhile knitting the heel of a stocking some of the needles may be raisedso as to be inoperative,and to hold the said needles raised and preventthem from falling I have provided the cam-cylinder O with an annularshoulder, h, in its inner surface, on which the butt-ends of the needlescan rest. \Vhen the needles A are thus raised out of action, as shown inFig.

2, the blanks G, when also rai ed, rest against the lower part of thesaid needles and hold their butts on the shoulder h; but at the nee--dle-operating cams the blanks G are lowered by the groove H, and thecam J is provided with extensions K,to prevent the needles from Vdropping.

i The thread-guide M is provided with two curved arms, N, the edges ofwhich rest quite closely against the hooks oi the needles, when thelatter advance, for the purpose of keeping the latches open, and ofopening any latches which might, by accident have been closed.

The cylinder D is provided with an annular groove, D", in its outersurface, into which groove a flange, R. of the screw-ring P projects,which ring P isscrewed on a screwthreaded collar, Q, projecting from thebase of the machine. By turning the screw-ring P the cylinder D can bemoved in the direction of its longitudinal axis, for the purpose ofadjusting the length of the stitches. If the cylinder D is moved inaline with its axis in one direction by the screw-ring P. theweb-holders E will be carried to a greater distance from the hooks ofthe needles when the latter are forming the loops, and the knittedstitches;

will be made longer, while if the cylinder'D .is moved in an oppositedirection by the ring P the web-holders E will be at a less distancefrom thehooks of the needles when the stitches are formed, and the saidstitches will conse both directions.

l viz: Commencing with the needles A in the position shown at the rightside of Fig. 1,

quently be shorter. The axial motion of the cylinder D is madeindependently of the cyl loops being upon their hooks, the needles aresuccessively moved longitudinally by the ac tion of their operating-camsin the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, and at the same time the hookedends of the needles are movedlaterally to a position shown in Fig. 3, sothat the yarn or thread which is between two of the needles, or, inother words, the yarn or thread connectin g two stitches orloopstogether and resting against the part f of the web'holders E, will becarriedinto the recesses f, and prevent the loops which are upon thehooks of the needles from slipping from the said hooks, and when thelongitudinal motion of the needles is continued the loops will remain atrest, and if the needles are moved sufficiently their latches willpassthrough the loops. If the needles A are then moved longitudinally in theopposite direction tothe one last described, and yarn or thread issupplied to their hooks, such yarn or thread will be carried by thehooks of the needles. If-such motion is continued sufficiently, the yarnor thread will be drawn through the loops or stitches which are upon theneedles, thelatches of the needles being closed by the loops or .yarn asthe needles are moved. Said loops pass over the hooks of the needles,and new loops or stitches will be formed. Before the stitches" areformed the needles A move laterally, so that the yarn or thread will notbe drawn on the partf of the web-holders E, but onthe part f of saidweb-holders. (See Fig. 1.)

This last-mentioned lateral motion of the hooked ends of the needlesalso carriesthe yarn or thread which was in the recesses f out of saidrecesses, so that the next yarn in course of knitting may pass into thesaid recesses.

By theemployment of the web-holders E the use of weights or othertension devices is dispensed with, the fabric being held by theweb-holders while the needles pass through the loops. I

The machine has been described as being circular. and as constructedwith a rotating or reciprocating cam-cylinder and a stationary needlecylinder or support, having blanks back of the needle and cams in frontof the;

needles for pressing the said needles laterally Instead of such an an atthe proper times. rangement, the cam-cylinder may be constructed toremain stationary, and the needle-cyl inder arranged to rotate orreciprocate, or a straight machine may be made in the same generalmanner described.

I haveshown my improvements applied to latched knitting-needles, thoughobviously the improvement may be applied to other knit- Cams may be usedforpressing ting-needles. the needles laterally in either or bothdirections, or blanks may be used similarly for the same purpose, asshown in the drawings. The

general arrangement shown 'in Figs. 1. 2, 3,;

and 4,1 consider preferable; but [have shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7. 8, 9, l0,and 11. modifications of the same. In Fig. 8 acani-bar is arranged tomove in a straight line in a straight ma- IIO fneedles laterally in bothdirections at the proper times, supplanting the blanks and.opera-ting inthe same manner as the cams S and L in the circular machine. (Shown inFig. 9.) In Fig. 5 the canrcylinder O is made a part of the bed of themachine, and the needle cylinder or support Bis attached by means ofsuitable pins to the ring 0 which is provided with cogteeth on its edge,into which the cogteeth of the gearwheel 0 engage, and by means of whichthe ring C and the needle cylinder B may be revolved together, while thecam-cylinder 0 remains stationary. The inner cylinder, D, is carried bythe cylinder B as the web-holders E pass into the radial grooves in theedge of the needle-cylinder, and the annular groove D extends entirelyaround the l cylinder D, which allows the latter to revolve dle-support.

bar on slides in guides formed upon the bars 0. The cams L", forpressing the needles .laterally, slide in guides formed upon theneedle-supportn andupon the bar P. The cams L are actuated by means ofthe pin in, which is. connected to the cam-bar m, as shown in Figs. 7and 8, and the cams L are reciprocated with the bar m. which carries theneedle-opcrating cams. .The web-holders E are attached to the bar E,which is connected to the nee- In Fig. 9 the cam-cylinder is rotated asin Fig. 1,- but there are cams shown to move the needles laterally inboth directions at the proper times. The cam S is moved simultaneouslywith the cam L in the following manner, viz: The cam Sis' attached tothe cylinder S, which is revolved by'the gear-wheel C in the same timethat the camcylinder 0 is revolved by the gear-wheel C The cylinder S issupported by its flange S", which runs in an annular groove in the partQ.

In Fig. 11 blanks are used, instead of cams, to press theneedles'laterallyin both directions at the proper times. The blanks infront of the needles are made shorter than the ones at the backs of theneedles. The butts of the blanks in front of the needles are acted uponby an irregular groove, 0 in the same general in front of the needlesslide upon the inclined manner as the blanks at the back of the needlesare operated. The heads of the blanks surface 0* of the cam-cylinder Oand foicethe needles laterally. In Fig. 10 blanks are used in frontofthe needles and cams upon the other side, eachbeing operated as hasbeen-described in Figs. 5,. 9, and 11.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

I. The combination, with a needle-support and a series of web-holdersarranged at the k-ni'ttingedge of said needle-support, of a seriesofneedles and means, substantially as de scribed, for imparting areciprocating and lateral movement to said needles, substantially asshown and described.

2. The combination, with a needle-support having fixed web-holders, ofneedles held in said support, devices for pressing the needles intothegrooves in the support, and devices for pressing the needles outward atsuitable times, substantially as set forth.

3. The co1nbination,with a cam-cylinder, O, of the needle-supportB,provided with needlegrooves a, having a bevel surface, the needles A,the blanks G, held in the needle-grooves, needle-operating cams, a camor cams adapted to operate the blanks, web holders E at theknitting-edge of the needle-support, and devices for operating themachine, substantially as shown and described.

4. The cornbinatio11,with the needle-support and cam-cylinder 0,provided with needle-operating cams, plateF, a cam-groove, H, having alower and upper part on the inner surface of the cam-cylinder, of theneedle-cylinder B, the needles A, the blanks G,web-hold ers E, anddevices for operating the camcylinder, substantially as herein shown andde scribed, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with a needlesu'pport provided-with grooves havingbeveled surface 12 of blanks G needles A and means forreciprocating-said blanks and needles, whereby a lateral movement isimparted to the hooked ends-of the needles, and also a reciprocatingmovement to the same, substantially as shown 7. The combination, withthe base of the machine,providedwith a collarhavinga screwthreaded neck,Q, and the needle-cylinder B, of the cylinder D, contained insaidcylinder B,and provided-with a groove, D", on the lower partthereof, the web-holders E on the cylinder D, the ring P, screwed onsaid neck Q, and provided with a flange, R, projecting into said annulargroove D", substantially as shown and deseribed,whereby the cylinder Bmay be adjusted axially, independently of the needlecylinder B, as setforth.

JOSEPH M. MERROXV.

Ni tn esses OSCAR F. GUNZ, EDWD. M. CLARK.

